A Free Elf
by Romione4Life
Summary: Dobby is happy to have gained his freedom, but a new job at Hogwarts has him feeling a little nervous, so he turns to Harry for some help.


**Author's Note: This was written for round 10 of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. My task was to write about a platonic relationship with a character chosen by my team (we chose Dobby). The optional prompts I used are dance, apologize, and dialogue: "I shouldn't have asked." **

**I guess you could consider this an AU story since I'm almost positive it doesn't really follow canon. I was running out of time and ideas, so this is what I ended up with.  
**

**Disclaimer: I must not tell lies! I'm not J.K. Rowling, and I do not own any part of Harry Potter.**

* * *

_Here lies Dobby, a free elf._

Harry Potter stared at the words carved on the headstone of Dobby's grave near Shell Cottage. The epitaph suited the small elf perfectly. Gaining his freedom had been one of the most important moments, if not the most important moment, of his short life.

As it turned out, however, Dobby's freedom hadn't come without a bit of apprehension. Sitting at Dobby's grave, Harry recalled one of his favorite memories of Dobby. It was special to him because not only had he seen a different side of Dobby, but he had also connected with the elf in a way he'd never expected.

* * *

It was late at night when Harry was awakened by something climbing onto his stomach as he slept. His first thought was that Crookshanks had somehow found a way into the boys' dormitories, but he quickly dismissed the idea since the thing didn't have claws.

"Who is it?" he mumbled, still half-asleep.

"Harry Potter, sir, it is an honor to see you again!" a voice Harry never expected to hear squeaked happily.

"I shouldn't have asked," Harry muttered, sitting up and blinking. Sure enough, there sat Dobby the house elf, his large, round eyes staring at Harry with concern.

"Dobby is very sorry, sir. Dobby didn't mean to bother you," he said. "Dobby can come back another time if you want."

"No, no, you don't have to apologize," Harry said quickly. "You're here now, so you might as well stay." He frowned and stared at Dobby in confusion. "What _are_ you doing here, anyway? You haven't come to tell me I need to stay away from Hogwarts again, have you?"

"Oh, no!" Dobby said, his ears flapping as he shook his head. "Dobby works at Hogwarts now! Albus Dumbledore hired him for _pay_!"

"Really? That's great, Dobby!" Harry said enthusiastically.

"Yes!" Dobby said with a nod. "He even offered Dobby weekends off, but Dobby just couldn't accept that."

"Why not?" Harry said, puzzled.

"Professor Dumbledore was too kind. Dobby wasn't even expecting to get paid as much as he is, much less to be given time off!" Dobby explained.

"Well, I'm sure you're still very excited to get started," Harry said.

"Dobby is very excited, sir," Dobby agreed, "but he is also very nervous." He began to shuffle his feet in an anxious dance.

"Why?" Harry asked.

Dobby glanced around as if he was afraid that someone else would hear their conversation, then said in a low whisper, "What if the other house elves don't like Dobby?"

"What's not to like?" Harry said.

"Most house elves don't approve of freedom. What if they're angry at Dobby because he is a free elf now? What if they resent him because he's getting paid to work?" Dobby said worriedly. Harry almost laughed out loud at the look of concern on the little elf's face, but he became solemn when he realized Dobby was serious.

"You really don't think the rest of the elves will like you?" he asked.

"This is a new experience for Dobby, sir," Dobby replied. "He doesn't know how to act around the other elves, and he doesn't want to disappoint Dumbledore, of course."

Harry was silent for a few moments. "Can I tell you a story, Dobby?" he said at last.

"Certainly, Harry Potter," Dobby said eagerly.

"When I first came to Hogwarts, I didn't even know magic existed until about a month before the school year started," Harry said.

"But Harry Potter is famous in the wizarding world!" Dobby said in disbelief. "How did you not know about it, sir?"

"That's another story I can tell you when it's not two o' clock in the morning," Harry said with a short laugh. "My point is, I was really scared because everyone had really high expectations of me before they'd even heard me utter a spell. I didn't know how I could live up to their expectations. And I didn't know anybody, so I felt completely alone. Climbing aboard the Hogwarts Express on my first day of school was one of the most thrilling and yet one of the most frightening days of my life. I'm guessing that's how you feel right now."

"Yes, that's exactly it!" Dobby exclaimed. "What did you do, sir?"

"Well, for one thing, I made a friend," Harry said, nodding toward Ron's bed. "That helped me feel a lot more relaxed and comfortable. And even though there were some people who would be rude to me and whisper about me, most people treated me like a normal person. So it turned out that I was worried for nothing."

"You're saying that Dobby should do the same thing, sir?" Dobby questioned.

"Exactly. Try to make a friend or two. And just be yourself. They'll love you," Harry said, hoping he sounded convincing.

"Thank you so much, Harry Potter!" Dobby said, his eyes shining as if Harry had bestowed some great gift upon him. Then, hesitantly, he said, "Is it okay if Dobby comes back to visit Harry Potter if he needs any more help?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Harry said. "But maybe you could come at a more convenient time – you know, when I'm not sleeping."

"Of course, sir! Thank you, sir!" Dobby said, nodding his head vigorously. "Dobby must be off now… Good night, Harry Potter."

And with that, Dobby scampered off.

* * *

Harry smiled as he remembered his conversation with Dobby. He hadn't really thought about it much until now, but that night had clearly meant a lot to Dobby. He'd been reassured knowing that someone else had problems similar to his and could give him advice. And then he was finally able to repay the favor by giving his life to save the lives of Harry and his friends.

"Thanks for being there for us, Dobby," he said softly. "I'm glad I could be there for you, too."


End file.
